| HS Code | 472115 |
| Material Type | Composite powder |
| Color | White |
| Tensile Strength | 18 MPa (2600 psi) |
| Tensile Modulus | 3000 MPa (435 ksi) |
| Flexural Strength | 36 MPa (5220 psi) |
| Flexural Modulus | 3200 MPa (464 ksi) |
| Elongation At Break | 2.5% |
| Hardness | 80 Shore D |
| Density | 1.3 g/cm³ |
| Heat Deflection Temperature | 80°C (176°F) |
| Water Absorption | 0.5% |
| Layer Thickness | 0.1 mm (0.004 in) |
| Accuracy | ±0.1% (min ±0.1 mm) |
| Binder | VisiJet PXL Binder |
| Compatible Printers | ProJet 660Pro, ProJet 860Pro |
| Post Processing | Infiltration with wax, epoxy, or cyanoacrylate |
As an accredited 3D Systems StrengthMax™ VisiJet PXL™ factory, we enforce strict quality protocols—every batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure consistent efficacy and safety standards.
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Full-color binder-jet topographic and architectural display parts produced on a ProJet CJP 860Pro with a build envelope of 508 mm × 381 mm × 229 mm and a layer thickness of 0.1 mm are saturated with StrengthMax as an undiluted post-print infiltrant. Green parts are depowdered with compressed air regulated to 0.4 MPa, then equilibrated at 23 ± 2 °C and 45 ± 5 % relative humidity for 2 h before the dip cycle. The infiltrant bath is held at 20–25 °C in a stainless steel vessel with low-shear recirculation; immersion continues until gravimetric uptake plateaus to ≤ 0.1 g over a 60 s interval. No solvent dilution is used, and the mix ratio is a single-component 100 vol% active liquid condition rather than a catalysed A/B ratio. Recovered bath material is filtered through a 25 µm polypropylene cartridge before being topped up with fresh infiltrant. After removal, parts drain over the bath for 30 min and cure at 23 ± 2 °C and 50 ± 5 % relative humidity for 24 h before sanding with 320-grit aluminium oxide paper and sealing with a waterborne acrylic undercoat. Indoor-emission compliance for installed architectural models is evaluated by chamber sampling per ISO 16000-3:2011; published data correlating StrengthMax uptake with specific VOC emission rates are limited, so the 28-day cure point is treated as the release threshold. Terminal outputs are massing models, façade subassemblies, topographic site models and courtroom exhibit boards.
Low-pressure wax injection tool inserts are printed as negative cavities in the same CJP build, then infiltrated before mounting in a machined aluminium bolster. The function of StrengthMax is to consolidate the porous starch/gypsum composite so that the cavity surface resists erosion by wax at 70–80 °C and 0.2–0.5 MPa injection pressure. The infiltrant is applied undiluted; no volumetric mixing ratio is required, but the tool is immersed for a longer cycle than display parts, typically until no air bubbles are observed for 60 s at 20–25 °C. After draining and ambient curing for 24 h, the cavity is lightly sanded with 600-grit silicon carbide paper, and a PTFE-based release agent is applied. Dimensional compliance of the resulting wax patterns is checked against the foundry pattern standard ISO 8062-3:2020 using a calibrated optical comparator; the expected capability is dominated by printer resolution and shrinkage compensation, not by infiltrant film thickness, provided excess liquid is wiped from vertical surfaces. Terminal parts are injection waxes for investment casting of A356 aluminium and grey iron components in short-run batches. Published data on long-term wax injection cycle limits with this specific infiltrant are limited; the tool is therefore treated as a short-run insert, and ejection pins are not attached directly to the infiltrated material. Instead, the bolster carries all mechanical pins, while the infiltrated cavity is retained only as a replaceable surface insert.
RTV silicone master patterns begin as full-color or monochrome CJP positives that are depowdered, dried, and then infiltrated with undiluted StrengthMax until gravimetric uptake stops. The cured master is sanded to remove binder-joint stepping and coated with a sealing lacquer because the infiltrated surface can interact with platinum-catalysed RTV systems. A patch test on a 20 mm × 20 mm sample is specified before full mould construction because published data on platinum cure inhibition are limited. The mixing ratio of the subsequent RTV system is determined by the silicone supplier, but the StrengthMax stage has no part A/part B ratio and is used at 100 vol% as supplied. After 24 h at 23 ± 2 °C and 50 ± 5 % relative humidity, the master is fixed to a mould board with hot-melt adhesive and enclosed in a frame; vacuum degassing of the silicone at −0.09 MPa reduces air entrapment on vertical draft angles. Terminal products are polyurethane vacuum-cast parts in low-volume consumer electronics housings and automotive interior switch bezels. Compliance for the master itself is limited to dimensional stability checks per ISO 1101:2017; no food-contact or medical claim is carried on the infiltrated pattern.
Investment casting patterns produced from CJP material are covered by the same shell-room sequence as conventional wax patterns, but the green strength of the printed pattern is normally below handling limits when sprues and tree assemblies exceed 300 mm in length. Immersion in StrengthMax is applied at 100 vol% to raise resistance to bending during ceramic slurry coating. The pattern tree is dipped into the infiltrant after assembly, drained for 30 min, and cured for 24 h before the first colloidal silica prime coat is applied. Shelling proceeds in a climate-controlled room at 24 ± 1 °C and 45 ± 5 % relative humidity; the infiltrated pattern surface is not re-wetted because slurry adherence is maintained after a light solvent wipe with isopropyl alcohol. No stoichiometric ratio exists for the infiltrant itself; the shell system uses zircon and fused-silica slurries at ratios specified by the foundry. Dimensional conformity of the final casting is evaluated against ISO 8062-3:2020, with pattern shrinkage and shell dilation accounted separately. Terminal castings are titanium and stainless-steel orthopaedic implant trial components and aerospace brackets in quantities where tooling cost must be avoided. Published data on shell de-waxing outgassing for this specific infiltrant are limited; foundries therefore perform pilot burnout in a controlled air furnace using a ramp rate set by the shell supplier before committing to production.
For short-run vacuum forming tooling, infiltrated CJP blanks are machined after the blanks have been fully cured and sealed. The unsealed composite would collapse under clamping pressure; StrengthMax is applied undiluted by brush to the back of the tool and by flood-coating the forming face until no further absorption is seen. After 24 h ambient cure, vacuum channels are drilled with carbide tooling, and the forming face is sanded from 220-grit to 600-grit silicon carbide paper. Because the thermal deflection behaviour of StrengthMax-infiltrated CJP is not fully documented in supplier data, the tool is limited to amorphous sheet grades whose forming window is below the measured heat deflection temperature of the infiltrated composite. The process ratio is not a coating mix but a saturation condition: the face must remain glossy after 30 min, indicating no residual porosity. Terminal parts are protective packaging trays, retail point-of-sale blisters and device fascia models. Dimensional checks are made against ISO 2768-1:2019 for general tolerances; no food-contact compliance is claimed. If tool face temperature approaches the glass transition of the infiltrant, loss of surface hardness is observed before bulk fracture, so an infrared pyrometer is used to monitor the sheet contact area and limit cycle frequency.
| Application segment | Referenced method | Boundary condition |
|---|---|---|
| Architectural display models | ISO 16000-3:2011 | 28-day emission chamber after cure |
| Investment casting patterns | ISO 8062-3:2020 | Dimensional tolerance class DCTG |
| RTV silicone master patterns | ISO 1101:2017 | Datum flatness and perpendicularity |
| Vacuum forming tools | ASTM D648-18 | HDT at 0.45 MPa; published data limited |
| Medical anatomical models | No ISO 10993-1:2020 claim | External visualization only |
| Sand casting match plates | ISO 8062-3:2020 | CMM verification of split-line alignment |
| Assembly fixtures | ISO 1101:2017 | Datum qualification at 20 ± 1 °C |
Anatomically colored craniofacial and orthopedic models are printed at 0.1 mm layer thickness on the CJP platform, depowdered, and infiltrated undiluted with StrengthMax to prevent powder shedding during repeated handling by surgical teams. The infiltrant step is completed before the application of waterborne acrylic color topcoats; solvent-based urethane topcoats are avoided unless adhesion is verified on a sacrificial sample because the solvent may alter the infiltrated surface. The model is cured for 24 h at 23 ± 2 °C and 50 ± 5 % relative humidity, then sealed with an acrylic primer and topcoated to a dry-film thickness of 20–30 µm. The material carries no ISO 10993-1:2020 biological evaluation claim and is not supplied as an implantable or patient-contacting material; the terminal use is external visualization, preoperative measurement and surgical team communication. Dimensional reporting follows the segmentation protocol set out in the clinical facility's ISO 13485:2016 quality system, but the infiltrant itself is outside the regulated device bill of materials. Hospitals requiring traceability receive batch retention samples of the infiltrant according to the purchase order. The output is a colored anatomical model with improved edge strength for resection planning and pedicle screw trajectory simulation.
Where sand casting match plates are required without CNC pattern shop lead time, reverse patterns with split lines, locating features, and back plates are printed in CJP material and then immersed in undiluted StrengthMax until saturation. The vertical split line is faced with an epoxy wear strip rather than left as bare infiltrated composite. The pattern is mounted to an aluminium match plate with threaded inserts set into over-drilled holes filled with a filled epoxy adhesive; the infiltrated material itself does not carry the thread load. Molding sand is a mixture of silica sand and sodium silicate binder at a ratio determined by the foundry, and the StrengthMax infiltration ratio is a single-component saturation condition rather than a resin-catalyst system. Dimensional compliance is checked by a coordinate measuring machine against ISO 8062-3:2020; the pattern is coated with a foundry-approved mould release before ramming. Terminal cast parts include pump housings, valve bodies and manhole covers in grey iron and ductile iron. The process window is limited to low-to-medium mould hardness; published data on abrasion loss of StrengthMax-infiltrated CJP under high-pressure airless sand compaction are limited, so the foundry conducts a validation run on new pattern geometry before series production.
When assembly fixtures require bearing holes, precision dowel locations, or CMM datum features, the infiltrated CJP blank is machined after full cure. StrengthMax penetration is checked at the machining surface by comparing mass before and after cure; if the core remains porous, the machinist stops at the first indication of powder pull-out. The process order is drill, tap, and then seal the machined cavity with a low-viscosity cyanoacrylate to prevent moisture ingress. No cutting fluid is used on unsealed areas; dry carbide end mills at 12,000–18,000 rpm with chip loads of 0.05–0.10 mm/tooth are used to avoid heat-induced softening. The infiltrant has no A/B mixing ratio; it is applied undiluted prior to machining. Dimensional inspection follows ISO 1101:2017; datum features are qualified with a CMM at 20 ± 1 °C. Terminal fixtures include automotive wiring harness assembly boards, PCB soldering pallet supports, and sheet-metal checking fixtures. Published data on machined surface durability with this specific infiltrant are limited; threaded inserts are recommended for holes that require repeated assembly and disassembly cycles.
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3D Systems StrengthMax™ VisiJet PXL™ is a two-component infiltration resin specified for post-processing of gypsum-based ColorJet-printed parts produced on the ProJet 160, 260C, 360, 460Plus, 660Pro, and 860Pro platforms. The material is not a build material; it is applied after depowdering to saturate the porous matrix and replace air-filled voids with a cross-linked polymer phase. The manufacturer’s technical bulletin describes the system as a low-viscosity, room-temperature-curing material that increases flexural and tensile properties relative to uninfiltrated VisiJet PXL parts.
Depowdered parts are dried before infiltration. The manufacturer recommends a minimum drying schedule of 2 h at 60 °C to remove residual water from the gypsum-like matrix. When mixed, part A and part B are combined at a volumetric ratio of 1:1. Pot life at 25 °C is approximately 15 min for a 100 g mixed mass, after which the resin undergoes a rapid viscosity rise that prevents uniform capillary absorption. The mixed material can be brushed, poured, or used in immersion saturation; immersion is preferred for parts with wall thicknesses exceeding 6 mm, whereas brush infiltration is restricted to outer surfaces and may not achieve full core saturation.
Infiltration depth is governed by the effective pore radius, wetting angle, resin surface tension, and viscosity. In ColorJet gypsum-like parts, the pore network has a multimodal pore size distribution, with local air entrapment at layer interfaces. Standard layer thickness on ProJet platforms is 0.1 mm; the resin front follows layer interfaces more readily than the cross-layer direction because of fine powder packing differences. This anisotropy means that tensile bars printed in the build‑z orientation may absorb less resin per unit time than bars printed in the x‑y plane, even when identical immersion parameters are used.
Thin walls below 2 mm present a process conflict: the capillary front may reach the core before bulk saturation is uniform, leaving a dry shell under a polymerized surface film. This condition is not fully captured by standard tensile coupons such as ASTM D638-14 Type IV, which are typically printed at thicknesses greater than 3 mm and are therefore less sensitive to incomplete core infiltration. Production-scale observations on ProJet 660Pro systems have shown geometry-dependent uptake mass when identical immersion times are applied to variable wall sections; published data for this specific configuration is limited to machine-specific qualification runs rather than universal geometry corrections.
For capillary saturation to remain uniform, the resin must have sufficient pot life to penetrate the full wall thickness before the viscosity rise. On parts with blind internal channels, air can be trapped at the closed end. Vacuum-assisted infiltration is sometimes used to remove the trapped gas, but the manufacturer’s standard processing guidelines do not define a universal vacuum level for all geometries. Any deviation from the standard immersion procedure should be qualified on sacrificial parts of the same powder lot.
Elevated-temperature cure reduces turn-around time but modifies residual stress. The manufacturer’s post-processing guidance specifies a room-temperature cure of 24 h at approximately 25 °C or an accelerated cure of 2 h at 60 °C ± 5 °C. Large cross-section parts above 20 mm wall thickness may exceed the resin’s exothermic threshold during accelerated cure, causing localized temperature rise at the core. In such cases a stepped cure schedule should be used: 1 h at 40 °C, followed by 1 h at 60 °C, to allow heat dissipation. Heat deflection temperature of the cured infiltrant is evaluated under ASTM D648-18 at 0.455 MPa; published datasheet values for this material should be regenerated on printed substrates because the mineral phase constrains polymer mobility and alters the apparent transition temperature.
Dimensional stability after cure is evaluated under ISO 291:2008 Clause 5 standard atmosphere. Measurements are usually taken no earlier than 48 h after the part reaches laboratory conditions. Parts cured at elevated temperature may show measurable shrinkage in the build direction if the part has nonuniform wall thickness. This shrinkage is not solely a resin property; it is coupled to the anisotropic distribution of gypsum-like powder and the layer-wise void fraction left by the printing process.
| Processing stage | Parameter | Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Powder removal | CJP depowder station, compressed air | Avoid prolonged air impingement on walls below 2 mm |
| Drying | Temperature and duration | 60 °C for 2 h minimum; 4 h when relative humidity exceeds 60 % |
| Mixing | Part A:part B ratio | 1:1 by volume; avoid gravimetric mixing unless densities are validated |
| Pot life | Mixed mass and temperature | Approximately 15 min for 100 g at 25 °C |
| Cure | Ambient or accelerated schedule | 24 h at 25 °C or 2 h at 60 °C ± 5 °C |
| Conditioning | Laboratory atmosphere | 48 h at 23 °C and 50 % relative humidity before dimensional inspection |
On an actual production floor, batch-to-batch variance is dominated by residual powder moisture rather than resin age. Parts removed from a high-humidity depowdering area can retain 0.3 % to 0.8 % moisture by mass, which retards cure and produces surface haze. Pre-drying at 60 °C for 4 h is required when relative humidity exceeds 60 % during depowdering. Failure to control this parameter produces weak interlayer adhesion after infiltration, sometimes observed as delamination near the build platform surface. The use of a desiccant cabinet after drying is recommended when production intervals exceed 1 h before infiltration.
StrengthMax™ VisiJet PXL™ is often used on ProJet 860Pro platforms with build envelope 508 mm × 381 mm × 229 mm, where large architectural or foundry assemblies are printed in sections. When full-size parts are infiltrated, the resin uptake may be nonuniform across the build envelope because powder density varies with position. The manufacturer’s datasheet does not provide a universal uptake coefficient per unit volume; instead, the mass of mixed resin is best determined empirically for each geometry and powder lot. A practical method is to weigh the part before and after infiltration and target a resin uptake that correlates with the required test standard result. Parts that are not fully saturated generally show brittle failure at the core, while parts that are over-saturated may exhibit surface pooling and a thick resin layer that alters dimensional tolerances.
| Property | Standard method | Specimen or condition |
|---|---|---|
| Tensile strength and modulus | ASTM D638-14 | Type IV specimen, test speed 5 mm/min |
| Flexural strength and modulus | ASTM D790-17 | Three-point loading, span-to-depth ratio 16:1 |
| Heat deflection temperature | ASTM D648-18 | Stress 0.455 MPa |
| Standard atmosphere for conditioning | ISO 291:2008 Clause 5 | 23 °C and 50 % relative humidity |
Mechanical property comparisons must be limited to identical print orientation, powder lot, post-cure state, and specimen geometry. The technical datasheet for StrengthMax™ VisiJet PXL™ may report tensile and flexural values obtained from ASTM D638-14 and ASTM D790-17 specimens; however, those values should not be extrapolated to wall thicknesses below 3 mm or above 25 mm without supporting test data. Published data for this specific configuration is limited. Comparative evaluation against cyanoacrylate infiltration and uninfiltrated control parts should use ISO 527-2:2012 for tensile modulus and ISO 178:2019 for flexural modulus, with specimens printed on the same build layer height. The StrengthMax route generally provides higher cross-sectional hardness than cyanoacrylate post-treatment, but it also introduces longer cure time and greater sensitivity to mix ratio error.
Compared with one-part cyanoacrylate infiltrating systems, StrengthMax™ VisiJet PXL™ exhibits slower capillary uptake due to higher initial mixed viscosity. This is advantageous for thick-section saturation but detrimental for highly detailed thin-walled architectural models. In foundry pattern applications, the infiltrated part must be machinable after cure; the two-component polymer phase creates a tougher chip during milling, reducing edge crumbling in small vent features. However, the material is not suitable for parts requiring prolonged water contact, because the gypsum substrate remains hydrophilic beneath the polymer-rich surface. In such cases, a full polymer coating or alternative build material is required.
The cured material is not recommended for continuous immersion in water or exposure to 100 % relative humidity at temperatures above 40 °C. The gypsum core remains water-sensitive; prolonged water contact causes swelling and delamination. The resin system should not be combined with amine-based surface primers, because residual amine moieties can accelerate hydrolysis at the polymer-mineral interface. Ultraviolet exposure produces progressive yellowing and surface microcracking. No UL 94 flammability rating should be assumed for the infiltrated composite unless the specific printed thickness and powder lot have been tested under the relevant UL 94 clause.
Shelf life of the two components is specified by the manufacturer; unopened containers should be stored between 10 °C and 30 °C and protected from moisture. After opening, the pot life of the mixed resin is not extendable by reheating or solvent dilution. Any attempt to reduce viscosity with organic solvent violates the technical datasheet and changes the final glass transition temperature. If ambient temperature is below 18 °C, component A and component B should be conditioned to 25 °C before mixing to prevent inaccurate volumetric ratios caused by viscosity drift.
For non-implantable anatomical models and architectural presentation parts, the main benefit is the reduction of surface dusting and the increase in edge retention. The infiltration step does not make the part waterproof, and it does not eliminate the need for clear coating when a high-gloss or moisture-resistant surface is required. The results are strongly dependent on powder lot, build orientation, and depowdering completeness. Therefore, process validation on the specific ColorJet platform is necessary before a production batch is accepted.
